Page 48 of Rising Reign (The Wolves of Crescent Creek #3)

WREN

Puck flipped a coin, catching it on the back of his hand as he stretched out at the table on the back patio. “I’m so bored, I think I’d take an attack at this point.”

Brix sent him a grin that was a little feral around the edges. “I could always kick your ass in the gym.”

Puck made a face. “You could try.”

Three weeks had passed since the dark mages spelled Franco, and nothing had happened. Everything had been eerily quiet. None of Ender’s contacts had heard any signs of movement from the dark mages or the Red River pack. And Rhys hadn’t had any more visions either.

So, we’d simply been stuck in limbo.

“Maybe we need a pack run,” Kingston suggested.

“I think I need a dirt bike or an ATV so I can keep up with you guys on those runs,” Juan muttered from his spot on one of the chaise lounges .

Franco’s lips twitched. “They’d still leave you in the dust.”

My gaze moved from the two of them to a quilt spread out over the ground at the edge of the forest. Hera and Clara were bent over one of Hera’s grimoires, studying something.

They’d been thick as thieves the past few weeks, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was more going on there than friendship.

They both deserved that kind of happiness and more, and I could see the ways in which they’d balance each other out and make each other stronger—as every partnership should be.

Strong arms lifted me from my chair and deposited me on a lap. Locke nuzzled my neck. “What are you smiling at?”

I burrowed deeper into him, relishing the fact that there was nothing quite like a Locke hug. “Look at the two of them,” I whispered.

My voice was low enough that only the shifters around me could hear. My bondmates followed my line of sight, studying the couple. Puck frowned. “I need to have a talk with Hera.”

I kicked lightly at his knee. “No, you do not. You’re not going to ruin this for your sister.”

“I just want to make sure her intentions are good,” Puck argued.

Ender scoffed as he stroked Princess’s fur. “You want to threaten Hera to within an inch of her life.”

“And she’ll probably give you limp dick for the rest of your days if you do,” Brix muttered.

“Who has a limp dick?” Juan called from the chaises.

“Puck, always Puck,” Ender called.

Puck leveled Ender with a glare. “Careful. I’ll go sabotage your bow collection, and then we’ll see how you feel.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Stop being an asshole and you won’t have to find out,” Puck shot back.

As if she could understand all the words being said, Princess leapt from Ender’s lap and onto the table. She bounded over and smacked Puck across the face, drawing a few specks of blood.

Puck’s hand flew to his cheek. “That goddamned cat.”

Princess darted away and jumped onto my lap. I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s what you get for hurling insults at Cat Daddy.”

Locke’s chest began shaking beneath me.

Puck narrowed his eyes on me. “He started it.”

“What are you, five?” King asked.

“Oh, his emotional maturity is barely three,” Clyde said from the loveseat he shared with Dina.

“On a good day,” Rhys called, striding out of the house, carrying a tray of drinks.

“What’s with the ganging up on me?” Puck complained. “Clare Bear, make your guards rough them up. They’re picking on me.”

Clara turned and glanced at us. “Fight your own battles, Pucker.”

“You should know he was planning on interfering with your love life again,” I said.

Clara’s eyes narrowed on her brother. “That is very risky, given that I know all your weaknesses and all your secrets.”

Kingston chuckled. “You want to move to Crescent Creek, Clara? It’d be nice to have someone who can keep him in line.”

“Sorry, but that sounds like a nightmare of a job.”

“You guys are the worst,” Puck muttered.

Rhys clapped him on the shoulder. “When you dish it out, you have to be prepared to take it.”

Puck glared up at him. “You’re one to talk.”

Rhys put a hand over his heart. “Me? I never create any trouble.”

The entire group grumbled at that. Rhys had needled or created problems for every single person here. It was as if he got a charge out of it. But as I studied him, I couldn’t help but wonder what his story was.

Memories swirled, the images that had flashed in my mind when I touched Rhys. Echoes of the pain and devastation rocketed through me. There was no doubt in my mind that Rhys hid his torment beneath charm and jokes, much like Puck did.

But as far as I could tell, Rhys didn’t have anyone to share his burdens with. He called Ender his best friend, but the two rarely delved deeper than surface level. That had to be lonely.

Rhys clapped his hands together. “Ready for more empath training, Little Vixen?”

King instantly straightened. “No. It’s her day off. She’s been pushing herself to the breaking point every day for the past few weeks. You need to give her mind a chance to recover.”

I shifted in Locke’s lap, disrupting Princess, who let out a meow of protest and jumped down. “I could do a little.”

King’s gaze cut to me, a stern look sweeping over his face. But it quickly softened as he leaned closer and cupped my cheek. “You need rest just as much as training. It’ll do you no good if you’re exhausted when the dark mages or Red River strikes.”

He had a damn good point, which only served to annoy me.

Locke started to laugh and then kissed my temple. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re adorable when you’re annoyed?”

“That’s only making me more annoyed,” I shot back.

King chuckled. “Apologies for being reasonable.”

“It’s honestly rude,” I muttered.

Rhys made a gagging noise. “All this lovey-dovey stuff is turning my stomach. First Ender, my brother, who I thought would never bite the dust, is a total goner for the little vixen…”

Ender let out a low growl. “I’m not a goner .”

Juan snickered. “You totally are.”

“Then my Dina abandons me for Clyde,” Rhys went on.

Dina arched a brow. “My keeping you in liquor doesn’t make me yours.”

“Damn straight,” Clyde echoed.

Rhys just rolled his eyes. “Even those two are all coupled up.” He gestured at Hera and Clara, his gaze lingering there. “Though, I would quite like to join that group. What do you say, ladies? Care to make it a throuple?”

Clara flipped him off, but Hera sent sparks flying in Rhys’s direction. They hit him dead-on, and he let out a little shriek. “That hurt, oh violent one. But I get it. It’s your kink.”

Hera turned to Puck’s sister. “Do you think he’d get that I’m not interested if I beheaded him?”

Clara shrugged. “Might want to burn the body for good measure.”

“Harsh,” Rhys mumbled. But the moment the word left his mouth, his body jerked, and his eyes turned pure white.

We all shot to our feet as Rhys’s whole form trembled. A handful of seconds later, he stumbled forward, and Ender rushed to steady him. Rhys’s eyes were wide with panic. “They’re coming.”